Here's What Happened When I, a Commoner, Played Tennis with Roger Federer

On the way out to USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows last Thursday, I noticed in the rearview mirror a black BMW M3 convertible closing in. The convertible had doctor's license plates, and the driver clearly wanted to play. He pulled alongside and swooped into a small gap in front of my Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S.

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We engaged in a friendly game of cat and mouse. Without realizing it, all of a sudden I was doing 80 miles an hour. It's very easy to go very fast in the AMG GT S.

Mercedes-Benz

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At the stadium, two of the attendants at the parking lot to which I'd been assigned pulled out their phones to take photos of the car. It's low, small, and sleek but has a commanding presence, especially in the bright white of this particular model.

Sam Dangremond

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Inside, a group of 35 lucky participants (mostly clients selected by car dealerships) split into teams and took part in a tennis clinic with Roger Federer. Federer is a Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador whose personal fleet consists of an S63AMG, an SLS Black Series, and a Viano Van (he needs room for his two sets of young twins, after all.)

When it came for Federer to arrive, we stood in two lines near the court's entrance with our racquets raised.

"From Basel, Switzerland, this 34-year-old won 87 singles titles in his illustrious career along with a record-setting 17 Grand Slams. Clap for that. That's unbelievable," emcee Wayne Bryan (father of the Bryan brothers) said. "He won the Davis Cup Championship last year and the gold medal for his country in the Beijing Olympic Games," Bryan went on.

Federer, clad in a turquoise shirt with an "RF" logo and white shorts (both Nike), seemed to be expected to run the gauntlet when he came into the court but demurred with a simple and rather sweet walk down the middle, smiling and nodding to the car enthusiasts on either side as he made his way through to the other end.

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"You've won the Davis Cup. You've won all kinds of Grand Slams," Bryan said. "Have you ever had a better reception in any part of the world than this?"

"No, not even at my wedding did I have this!" Federer, ever the charmer, joked.

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We split into six teams of six. Bryan chose five captains based on who had played the best in the drills (i.e. not me). Federer was the sixth captain, and each of them chose the rest of their teammates before splitting off to do drills and play points across three courts. The idea was to advance to the court Bryan dubbed "The Penthouse" and to stay out of another one he called "The Sewer." Winners moved up; losers moved down.

Federer and his team.

Through this system, all of us faced off against Federer's team. During our bout, he hit a shot to me that I was very pleased with myself for returning, but he countered with a drop shot that landed just over the net—about 38 feet away from where I was positioned on the baseline.

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"Ah, that's not fair," he said to me across the net, convincing me of his nice guy-ness once more.

In the end, my team finished in a respectable third place.

Bryan interviewed Federer after the game just like newscasters do after matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium. He asked what he thought of the winning team.

"I think they were great. I think they had the right ingredients to play the mini tennis. They had the power and the finesse and they deserve the victory truly today."

Wayne Bryan interviews Federer.

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Should they get a brand new Mercedes? Or a signed ball by you? What would be better?

"I think they need a signed ball."

It wouldn't be prudent to do anything that might put his access to Viano Vans and SLS coupes at risk—like try to give away a car. So, smart answer, Roger.

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